Fantasy Football: Week 10 kicker and defense rankings

Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Prepare for Week 10 by studying up on the best kickers and defenses for your fantasy football lineup.

This week the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles are serving their byes. That means there are other units worthy of being your starting defense because of good matchups. You also want to drop a kicker from those teams, if you own one, in order to pick up someone who will be active this week. Don't use too many roster spots on that position this late in the season, as they should be used on top waiver wire targets and high upside prospects.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are my top defense this week for several reasons. Pittsburgh has limited its last three opponents to 15 points or fewer. The Steelers have been a top 10 scoring defense this year in fantasy football points per game. The Colts haven't scored more than 23 points in a game since Oct. 8. I'm counting on the Steelers to finish the week on top of the defensive rankings.

Another solid option this week is the Detroit Lions. The Lions dominated the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football and I expect nothing less at home against the Cleveland Browns. The Browns haven't scored more than 17 points since Sept. 24 and I don't expect that to change here against the unit. The Lions are a top 5 play for Week 10.

Los Angeles Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein has benefited from playing behind one of the best offenses in football this season. He is also making field goals at a very high clip. Both of those trends will continue in Week 10 against the Houston Texans. Zuerlein leads fantasy football kickers in points per game and has attempted multiple field goals in every game this season. He has nine straight successful attempts through his last three games. He has also hit 12 extra points during that stretch.

Pittsburgh Steelers leg Chris Boswell is another kicker I would consider for my top 5 this week. Boswell is inside the top 10 this year for average fantasy points per game among kickers. He also has seven successful attempts in his last two games. The Steelers should win this Week 10 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. Expect Boswell to be busy.

SNEAKY PLAYS

The Los Angeles Rams are playing great football right now. As one of the best scoring offenses in the league, opponents must keep up with this unit. That opens the door to opportunity for more fantasy points, especially for the defensive line. Los Angeles hasn't allowed more than 17 points in a game since Oct. 1. I expect another solid performance against the Houston Texans. The Rams are a top 5 play here.

The Chicago Bears are another top 10 play for Week 10 with a matchup against the Green Bay Packers. I don't expect Brett Hundley to suddenly amp it up and throw the football all over the Bears. Look for this bout to be low-scoring and the Packers to continue to lean on the run game, limiting turnovers but also hampering explosive plays.

New Orleans Saints kicker Will Lutz has been solid all season. He lands in my top 5 again this week with a matchup against the Buffalo Bills. I expect the Saints to play great defense in this one and the Bills have proven they can hang around with great offenses. Look for Lutz to drill multiple field goal attempts in this one when the Saints' offense gets in a jam.

Denver Broncos kicker Brandon McManus should also have a big day against the New England Patriots. I expect the Broncos to have a much better week than they had in Week 10. New England's defense has been overly generous this season and that should open up the chance for plenty of opportunities for McManus.

Week 10 Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings

LONGSHOTS

The New York Jets are a great streaming option for Week 10. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are heading into this matchup without Mike Evans and Jameis Winston. If the Jets play respectable run defense, the Buccaneers will lose this game. Mark the Jets down as a streaming option and bye week fill-in.

The New York Giants entered the season as a quality defensive option for your fantasy football team. Well, that hasn't quite panned out. But you can count on the Giants in Week 10 against a San Francisco 49ers offense without some of its key playmakers. San Francisco is also planning to give work to a new quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo. The Giants are another streaming option.

Week 10 Fantasy Football Defense/Special Teams Rankings

Cincinnati Bengals kicker Marshall Koehn is an interesting streaming play this weekend against the Tennessee Titans. I don't expect either defense to play particularly well in this spot, leading to great field position for both teams. Koehn was signed just last week and could be the Bengals' starter in Week 10. If you need help in this spot, he won't be a bad streaming option based on the matchup and the Bengals' challenges of getting into the end zone this season.

Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo could also prove a strong streaming play against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10. The Jaguars' defense should perform well in this spot and Lambo hasn't missed a field goal yet. He also hit three of his attempts last week against the Cincinnati Bengals.

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